World order won't be shaped by one nation: Dr Subhash Chandra opens WION World Pulse summit, says its purpose is to listen to the pulse of our times

WION World Pulse summit's purpose is to listen to the pulse of our times and the world order won't be shaped by one nation or one narrative, said Dr Subhash Chandra, Founder and Mentor of Zee group and former Rajya Sabha member, as he opened the Leaders' Confluence at ITC Maurya in the Indian capital New Delhi on Wednesday (Mar 18).

Dr Subhash Chandra recalls the idea behind WION: World is One

Noting that WION stands for World Is One, he said the channel was designed based on the spirit and inspiration of the Indian spiritual idea of Vasudaiv Kutumbakam (World is One Family). Dr Chandra recalled that Swami Vivekananda had expressed this concept at the World Parliament of Religions. He said WION is anchored in the timeless spirit of Bharat.

He said the summit will capture WION's spirit of ‘world is one’, which the world needs in these troubled times. Noting that the envoys from the current conflicts are also present at the event, he said the summit seeks to decode the present moment, as the future is shaped by the present.

India is a key player of global geopolitics and economy today: Dr Subhash Chandra

War is dominating today's conversations, in contrast to the concept of WION, Dr Chandra said. New strategic alliances are shaping the world, and the question for global media is, “if world is one family, are we behaving like one?”

He noted India's rise in global geopolitics and economy. “India wasn't a key player earlier in geopolitics, but today it is. No one can ignore the 1.4 billion nation, growing its own economy in domestic terms, far better than most countries,” he asserted. There is no part of the world where Indian talent is not involved.

The government and the other three pillars of society should give a fillip to the concept of vasudaiv kutumbakam, which is needed in today's time, Dr Chandra said.

WION is the platform for exchange of dialogue and exchange of ideas: Dr Subhash Chandra to diplomats attending World Pulse summit

Noting that we live in a world of information overload and social media, Dr Chandra said legacy media like WION carry the responsibility to provide clarity and context to the viewers.

Addressing several diplomats present at the summit, Dr Chandra said diplomacy needs credible platforms like WION in a fractured world, where dialogue and exchange of ideas can happen.

"I hope WION Pulse would give perspectives for you to report back to your counterparts in your respective countries," he added.

Dr Chandra said the purpose of WION Pulse is to listen to the pulse of our times. The future of world order, he said, will not be shaped by one nation or one narrative, but by how the world understands itself today.

Dr Subhash Chandra recollects the birth of WION

Dr Chandra also recalled the time when Zee was born in 1992, wondering at the time, 'how we are watching CNN during the Gulf War’. To watch the first televised war, Dr Chandra said, friends used to go to hotels, as satellite dishes were only available there.

Dr Chandra recalled how he approached the government to create an international news channel. Several years later, the government had allotted funds for an international news channel. But, despite several expressions of interest, eventually the money lapsed.

In 2017, WION was launched by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the 90th year of the Essel Group, he recalled.